The Dwight Howard saga finally ended over the summer with the center's trade to the Lakers. His landing there changes the landscape of the NBA dramatically.Christopher Hanewinckel/US Presswire

THE WATCH LIST

FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH

1. Dwight Howard, Lakers – One thing you can be sure about: He won’t show the same criminal indifference he demonstrated the past two seasons. If the Lakers run 30 screen/rolls per game with him and Steve Nash, and a dozen high-lows with Pau Gasol, it turns him into a 28-and-14 monster – that’s Shaq-prime territory – and it leaves Kobe Bryant fresh enough to dominate the endgame. And the day he decides to hit 70 percent of his free throws, this team has no competition.

2. Andrew Bynum, 76ers – Yep, everything about the Jersey kid is still Big. Big body, big skill, big ego, big sense of entitlement, big upside, big expectations. Right now, he’s in big shutdown. No one knows when the pain in his right knee will subside, so it leaves the Sixers with a (yes, big) headache: They need him to be the 20-and-10 guy to escape their mediocre fate; but if this injury is chronic, how do you begin to determine whether a long-term deal is prudent when he enters the market in July?

3. Jeremy Lin, Rockets — He’s the guy who turned the league on its ear a year ago, building a global fan base that made his jersey the No. 2 seller in the world. Maybe he’s just a one-hit wonder. Maybe he’s a future star. Maybe he’s the next Goran Dragic. We only know this: Nine months ago, he reminded everyone that a high IQ is a basketball skill, and he did some weird stuff like turning Tyson Chandler into a pick-and-roll beast and Steve Novak into a game-breaker. Now he’s asked to do it again with the star-studded frontcourt of Patrick Patterson, Chandler Parsons, and Omer Asik.

4. Carmelo Anthony, KNICKS – Maybe it’s not just him, it’s the rest of us. He vows to change, and we don’t believe it. He promises to play a more complete game, and we can’t see it. He insists he can be satisfied with being a facilitator, and we’ll never buy it. He says he can take the Knicks to great heights, and we can’t measure it. He calls himself a winner, and we question his definition of the term. But on this and all other assertions, we are willing to accept whatever he may offer as verifiable evidence. Any year now.

FIVE BIGGEST STORYLINES

1. Celtics Reload – They came one win shy of the NBA Finals last summer, so they kept most of the old gang together — minus Ray Allen and Mickael Pietrus. Three newcomers will have instant impact (Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Jared Sullinger), and two regulars return from injury (Avery Bradley, Jeff Green). They’re still light up front athletically, but they’re 10 deep and very serious, and – as long as Paul Pierce stays injury free at 35 – capable of taking another run at June.

2. The Race To Return – It’s hard to envision Minnesota seeing the playoffs for the first time since ’04, but it could happen if Kevin Love (broken hand) and Ricky Rubio (ACL) return at a reasonable date. Because in a conference that will have Nos. 3 through 8 separated by five games again, the Wolves have what other teams do not: the easiest November schedule, and perhaps the best coach in Rick Adelman. Meanwhile, Chicago plays its waiting game with Derrick Rose, who may not return before March 1, if at all. Maybe the Bulls survive it on defense alone, but they’re counting on five starters with injury histories and a very thin bench.

3. The OKC Conundrum – They broke up the NBA’s best Core Four Saturday night – trading James Harden to Houston for picks and parts – and it’s devastating. Harden wanted $60M, the Thunder stood firm at $52M to avoid the luxury tax, and if they don’t make it back to the Finals, the epitaph is clear: They can’t pay the price of doing business in June. They should either move again or fix their business model, because no NBA Finalist should have financial issues like these guys.

4. The Coast-to-Coaster – Will LeBron James play out his deal in Miami and take over Kobe Bryant’s role as the star of Hollywood stars? Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Maybe. We don’t care. The important thing is that ESPN gets to run amok over another two-year-distant fantasy like it always does, along with its dutiful affiliate bloggers, so we can turn the thoughtful analysis into the usual cacophony of idiotspeak.

5. BKN vs. NYC – Both can be slotted into that 47-to-50-win bracket, and health may be the only thing that determines who grabs the fourth seed instead of the fifth in a weak conference. The sight of the Knicks’ true MVP (Tyson Chandler) leaving Nassau Coliseum on crutches may indicate that they’re not exactly going to break out fast, but they should finish strong as long as Iman Shumpert returns by the break. The Nets have built a very nice roster and have a splendid court on which to play, but their preseason defense still looked stuck in the mud somewhere in the swamps of Jersey.

FOUR BIGGEST GAMES TO WATCH

1. KNICKS at NETS, Nov. 1 – Might as well get the party started early.
2. LAL at OKC, Jan. 27 – Their last encounter was May 21, when L.A. was smashed by 16 and sent home. Kobe has a good memory.

3. Miami at Indiana, Feb. 1 – How many times are the Pacers the Sunday showcase? Zilch. This is Friday ESPN, and they’ll want respect.

4. Boston at KNICKS, March 31 – By then, we’ll know whether to take the Knicks seriously.